Sophie Cunningham Calls Skip Bayless' Remarks on Caitlin Clark's Injury 'Bulls--t'

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham called "bulls--t" on the idea that the team or WNBA is being purposefully deceptive over the injury to star Caitlin Clark.

"That's literally bulls--t. No one's lying," she said at the 13:30 mark in the newest episode of her Show Me Something podcast. "... Here's the thing. When you're an elite-level player, you not being able to play is the hardest part, mentally, physically, emotionally."

The comments were in response to legendary takesman Skip Bayless suggesting Clark "has taken a couple of 'injury' breaks just because she needed a mental break from all the jealousy and resentment and bullying and cheap shots." He went on to speculate whether the WNBA might be deliberating shrouding the fact the reigning Rookie of the Year suffered a season-ending groin injury.

Clark has been sidelined since an 85-77 win over the Connecticut Sun on July 15, and there's no firm timetable for her return. Head coach Stephanie White said last Sunday the team is hopeful she can be back before the regular season wraps up.

Before her most recent groin injury, the 6'0" guard picked up some other minor ailments that limited her availability. All told, she has logged just 13 appearances.

The idea that the WNBA is willfully keeping fans in the dark doesn't really hold up under any serious scrutiny.

It's not as though there's a meaningful level of television viewers who are tuning into every Fever game in the hope Clark is suiting up, only to be disappointed every time she doesn't.

The way in which sports leagues have embraced official gambling partners demands even more transparency as well. Imagine laying down a wager on Clark winning an individual award or for the Fever to make the Finals, only to learn after the fact the WNBA hid information about a major injury.

That's to say nothing of how the Fever players and coaching staff would be better off if they had firm clarity over Clark's status, be it good or bad.

The fact is, some injuries are very easy to diagnose while others can be very tricky to rehab. Clark is far from the first basketball player whose recovery process was frustratingly ambiguous.